Luniera Moonsong
"By the grace of Elune, we will be victorious. The Horde shall know the wrath of the kaldorei." - Ambassador Luniera Moonsong Luniera Moonsong is a Priestess of the Sisterhood of Elune. She was born one thousand years prior to the cataclysmic War of the Ancients to simple tradespeople of Suramar and currently resides in Stormwind City as a refugee from Darnassus. Her gentle demeanor and kind nature has been heavily tested in recent times due to the Horde's direct actions in Teldrassil and Darkshore. Physical Description Luniera wears clean robes of dark blue, a cowl regularly pulled low over her face. Her face is typically pulled into a look of determination, her radiant silver eyes glowing from beneath her hood. At only a few inches above six feet, she is short for a kaldorei, but she can sometimes be seen using minor levitation spells to enhance that fact. Personality She is typically quiet and reserved, indicative of her many years of service as a Priestess of Elune. She does not hesitate to open up to the right people, however, though it does take a lot to truly earn Luniera's trust. Her devotion to her people is above nearly all else, and she is quick to come to the defense of the kaldorei and their close allies. History Early Life Luniera Moonsong was born in a time of kal’dorei prosperity, 1,000 years before the Great Sundering. Her parents, Baldis and Minessa Moonsong, were simple merchants who met during their many years of service in adjacent shops on the outskirts of Suramar City. Baldis was known for his expertise with ores and metals, always interested in manipulating pieces in new ways. His focus was on basic, everyday needs (primarily cookware), but he spent a majority of his down time creating ornate blades and inlaid armour pieces to let his creativity flourish. Minessa worked next door to Baldis in a tailoring shop. An expert with a needle and thread, she had become well-known for her both her abilities and her extremely competitive prices, something that forced her into a lesser life than she was capable of. Baldis and Minessa grew quite fond of each other, admiring and supporting each other’s work while maintaining a strong desire to help those that sought out their goods. It was a modest life, but they were content. After quite some time, the two finally married. It was many years before Luniera was born - the couple was very intent on keeping their businesses at the forefront of their lives. Regardless, Minessa gave birth to a daughter at the height of night, when the rays of moonlight were strongest. Baldis claimed it was the Moonsong blood running through her veins, but Minessa disagreed. She believed it to be a sign from Elune herself that her daughter was destined to be a part of the Sisterhood. Baldis and Minessa offered Luniera a stable and loving childhood, though they decided to raise only one child to not place any unnecessary financial strain upon the family. The Sisterhood of Elune For many years, Minessa held fast to her belief that Luniera’s birth was a sign from Elune. Baldis never took the notion seriously, and assumed that Luniera was destined to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a seamstress. Minessa was adamant that this was not to be the case, that Luniera’s destiny lay with the Sisterhood. Baldis did not wish to go against his wife’s wishes and easily relented, paving the way for Luniera’s path as a priestess. Luniera began her studies during the tenure of High Priestess Kalo’thera in the centuries prior to the War of the Ancients. She was a model student, her humble beginnings having molded her into a calm and generous soul. Though she was a hard worker and intent on pleasing her mother, the ways of the priest did not come easily to Luniera. Her drive and desire kept her moving forward while her tutors were sympathetic and helpful, even though Luniera’s abilities progressed at a much lesser rate than some of her peers. However, Luniera truly believed that her hard work and devotion would pay off in the eyes of her beloved Elune and did not deviate from her path. Her studies began at the Temple of Fala’dora in Falanaar where she would remain for many years. The War of the Ancients Like so many others, Luniera was shocked when the demons set upon Azeroth. Though Falanaar was a good distance away from Suramar proper, the demons showed no mercy to any in the region. When the pit lord Ronokon lead his forces to topple Suramar, Luniera’s skills as a fledgeling priestess were quickly put to the test. Her location from the city itself kept her from the worst of the fighting, but the Burning Legion was relentless. Baldis, having been a craftsman of weaponry for thousands of years, took up arms with many of his brethren to battle back the demonic forces. His last act of bravery was successfully saving Minessa’s life before falling to the enemy. Luniera, Minessa, and a handful of others from Falanaar had heard wind of the Kaldorei Resistance being lead by Lord Kur’talos Ravencrest. Seeing their homeland overrun and Suramar’s fall, they decided that escaping to Zin’Azshari was their best bet for survival. It took what felt like a lifetime to make their way through the wilds between Suramar and Zin’Azshari and many fell to demonic forces along the way, but a handful of the contingent from Falanaar did manage to make the journey. They quickly found the forces of the Resistance and did their best to assist in the thwarting of the Legion’s plans. Though the end of the War resulted in the Great Sundering of the world, Luniera survived alongside many others of the Resistance. The survivors made their way to Mount Hyjal in the aftermath of the conflict and began to rebuild their shattered world. Despite tension and discord among the kaldorei in the contentious aftermath of the war (such as Illidan Stormrage’s betrayal in creating a new Well of Eternity and his subsequent imprisonment), life began anew on the continent of Kalimdor. Against all odds, relative peace slowly began to spread once more. Aftermath and the Long Vigil With the blessing of Nordrassil by the great Dragon Aspects and the subsequent immortality of the kaldorei, Luniera returned to her studies and duties. She found that her abilities and techniques came much more naturally in the time following the War of the Ancients, something that she read as a gift from Elune for her actions in helping Azeroth thwart the demons. In reality, the War had honed her skills and tested her resolve, though Luniera’s humble nature would forever assume it was the doing of her beloved Elune. Luniera, Minessa, and a few of the other Falanaar evacuees eventually settled in the forests of Ashenvale. Though conflicts rose and fell (such as the War of the Satyr and the War of the Shifting Sands), Luniera did not stray far from her new home. She continued her work as a Priestess of Elune, watching over her people and spreading the teachings of her revered Sisterhood and their beloved moon goddess. It was a simple life, but Luniera cherished what she had - even thousands of years could not erase the pains from the War of the Ancients. The Third War The peace and tranquility of Ashenvale was all but shattered when the orcs arrived on Kalimdor. As the resident kaldorei went on the defensive to oust the intruders, Luniera joined the endeavors wholeheartedly. Her memory of being caught totally unaware by the demons so many years ago was not something she was willing to repeat, thus she made every effort to stay on top of this new threat. Luniera worked closely with the Sentinels, offering support and healing where needed as the forces of the night elves clashed with the orcish intruders. Luniera began to take on a much more militant role with the renewed fighting in Ashenvale. She accompanied a small band of defenders known unofficially as the Protectors of Astranaar, a tight-knit band of Sentinels stationed within Ashenvale who actively sought out the orcish invaders to remain one step ahead. Their methods proved effective and they celebrated their small victories until word arrived of the death of the demi-god Cenarius. With that stunning turn of events, the Protectors of Astranaar halted their individual efforts in order to add their might to the greater kaldorei army. After the awakening of the druids and the return of Malfurion Stormrage, Luniera actively participated with the larger kaldorei forces. She provided support and mending for the Sentinels she fought alongside, eventually pushing to the slopes of the great Mount Hyjal. During the final battle of the war, the Battle for Mount Hyjal, Luniera found herself fighting alongside these strange green-skinned invaders as well as a host of other unfamiliar creatures in order to oust the Legion from Azeroth once more. Though Archimonde was defeated, the victory was bittersweet for the night elven forces - Nordrassil, the great tree protecting the kaldorei, had fallen. The Cost of War With the protections of Nordrassil gone, Luniera faced the harsh reality of mortality head-on. The return to Ashenvale was heavy - she could see new struggles for her people that weighed heavily upon her. Sickness and disease began to spring up, forcing Luniera into action to do her best to help her newly aflicted kin. She did what she could when she could for all those in need, increasing the time of her homeward journey tenfold. Eventually, Luniera found her way back to Astranaar, though what she found when she returned would strike her fully in the heart. Her mother, Minessa, had fallen grievously ill with an unknown sickness and had been struggling since just after the end of the War. Guilt seized Luniera - if only she had returned home sooner, perhaps she could have done more to save her mother. It was, however, too late. Minessa succumbed to her illness only a few days after Luniera’s return. Though emotionally drained, Luniera took solace in the fact that her parents could finally be reunited in Elune’s embrace. A New Path Luniera dedicated herself entirely to Elune in the aftermath of the death of her mother. It was her desire to not let any of her people suffer with the threat of mortality now upon the kaldorei. She spent all of her time in the aftermath of her loss healing and caring for afflicted night elves, assisting in any and every way she could. When Fandral Staghelm planted Teldrassil in the time after the Third War, Luniera moved into the newly created capital city of Darnassus. She continued her role as a priestess within the city’s new Temple of the Moon, helping society acclimate to their new home in any way she could. When the time came for the kaldorei to join the Alliance, Luniera was quite interested. Her animosity for the Horde was still present after her experiences in Ashenvale, and the threat of the orcs still existed. Their time of isolationism had come to and end with the conclusion of the Third War, and Luniera agreed with that sentiment. With her parents deceased and no marriage to tie her to Kalimdor, Luniera decided to learn more about the human kingdom of Stormwind. She was amazed at the city she found on the other side of the Maelstrom. She quickly learned much of the humans, spending quite some time within Stormwind, though her curiosity hardly ended there. She visited Ironforge and Dun Morogh as well, uncovering even more about the kaldorei’s newfound allies. It was during this lengthy trip that Luniera decided upon her new path as an ambassador for Darnassus. There was much to be learned and appreciated in regards to these new races and their lands, and Luniera saw an opportunity to assist in strengthening the Alliance. For years, Luniera would serve as a liaison between kingdoms, both visiting foreign capitals and hosting ambassadors of the Alliance. She never forgot her role as a priestess of Elune, either - she even spent a lot of her time learning techniques and abilities in the midst of priests of other cultures. She spent most of her free time in Darkshore, preferring the placitude of Auberdine when she could escape the bustle of Darnassus and the other Alliance capitals. This lead her right into the hands of the Draenei when they unexpectedly arrived on this world. Luniera was instrumental in assisting this new race find their way on Azeroth, doing what she could to help usher the Draenei into the ranks of the Alliance. She found herself both sympathetic to their plight as well as awed by their strong command and belief in the Light. Her strengthening relationship with Velen’s people shifted her focus from the more distant Alliance nations to the Night Elves’ newly discovered neighbors. Calamity The assaults of Outland and Northrend sent rippling effects throughout the entire Alliance, and Luniera was no exception. Though she was not directly involved in combat during these events, she kept busy maintaining relations between the strained populous of Darnassus and the heavily burdened races of the Alliance. She did ensure to visit both Outland and Northrend to get a direct sense of the proceedings, though her participation was not particularly notable. After the war against the Lich King had concluded, she returned to a peaceful life as both a priestess and an ambassador. That would all change very quickly when Deathwing assaulted the world. Luniera was in Auberdine when Darkshore itself was torn to pieces. She watched in horror as her beloved homelands were rent apart and bathed in flame, her fellow kal’dorei victims to horrible torment. Having been miraculously spared from the carnage, she immediately sprang to action. Alongside other heroes of the Alliance, she worked closely with the forces of Malfurion Stormrage to mend the lands, eradicate threats, and rebuild. She assisted in the founding of Lor’danel after the annihilation of Auberdine where she would remain for an extended period of time. Agent of the Alliance Having seen the powers of the Alliance and its heroes first-hand in Darkshore, Luniera decided to take a more direct role. She travelled to the distant mysterious lands of Pandaria where her abilities as both an ambassador and a priestess were of great use. She stood shoulder to shoulder with a large force of other healers when the Alliance assaulted Orgrimmar to depose the abhorrent Garrosh Hellscream. His subsequent escape to the time-twisted version of Draenor forced Luniera into direct action once more where she spent her time primarily observing and learning about the Draenei race in the verdant hills of Shadowmoon Valley. Returning to the conflicted Broken Isles truly tested Luniera’s resolve. The pains of the War of the Ancients never subsided and her fury against the Burning Legion for their multitudinous atrocities remained. Rekindling the fight against the Legion in such a direct way was easy - seeing her ancient homeland after so many years was not, especially with the current state of affairs. The comforts of her younger years were certainly no more. Painful memories assaulted her as she stalked these familiar grounds, memories of those loved and lost, of buildings shattered and families eradicated. Her eventual return to Falanaar, her childhood home, was by far the most painful. Barely anything remained of what she recalled. Her beloved Temple of Fala’dora, where she first began her studies as a priestess of Elune, was in ruins, it’s people replaced by a twisted, spider-like contingent of creatures known as the fal’dorei. She spent as much time as she could in the shadows of the fractured ruins, praying to Elune in memory of her fallen friends and family from over 10,000 years ago. She eventually happened upon the withered which kick started her participation in the Nightborne Insurrection. Though she was sympathetic toward the plight of Thalyssra and her people, Luniera could not help but recall her prejudices against the Highborne for their involvement in the destruction of Kalimdor those many thousands of years ago. She, along with her compatriots within the Alliance, assisted the Resistance in an overall effort to thwart the Legion, but her feelings of discomfort against these magical versions of her ancient people never subsided. Her pains and experiences in traveling the Broken Isles hardened Luniera. She came to the conclusion that Elune had set this path for her, that she was intended to see the pains of the past so she could truly understand the importance of her current work in protecting her people and assisting their future. Luniera found herself with a new sense of resolve and purpose that she brought with her to the assault on Argus. She greatly sympathized with the Draenei that were going through a similar experience as she did (seeing their ancient home broken, twisted, and destroyed) and did everything she could to assist her allies once again. In the aftermath of the fighting, her divisive feelings in regards to the Nightborne were solidified when the race decided to ally with the Blood Elves, a race she cared very little for after their continued magical practices in the aftermath of the War of the Ancients. In contrast, however, she was delighted to learn that the Army of the Light had allied with the forces of the Alliance. She holds skepticism for the Void Elves as she views them as a potentially dangerous ally, though she does appreciate their desire to assist the Alliance - especially Alleria Windrunner, one of the heroes that selflessly ventured to Outland in order to protect Azeroth. The Burning of Teldrassil In the aftermath of the efforts on the Broken Isles, Luniera returned to relative normalcy between her residence in Darnassus and her time spent in Lor’danel. However, her comforts were immediately silenced when the Horde marched upon Ashenvale. She swiftly took action, her mind returning to the events of the Third War when the orcs first assaulted the night elves’ sacred woods. Luniera did everything she could alongside her fellow defenders, but it wasn’t enough - the Horde pushed on to Darkshore. She stood strong when Malfurion called upon the wisps to defend their cherished home, but, once again, it was not enough. The Horde had planned for this assault and was ready to give it everything they had. Luniera stood aghast when the Horde continued to push north despite everything she and her fellow defenders could muster. She eventually retreated to Lor’danel to start helping citizens evacuate to Darnassus. Luniera was in the city when the first flames slammed into Teldrassil. She could not believe what she was experiencing, could not believe that the Horde would go so far as to fire upon thousands of innocents. She quickened her pace, assisting citizens to the best of her ability to get them through portals to safety. Chaos was everywhere, the burning air assaulting her senses, choking and strangling her as the intensity grew with every passing second. In all her experiences in battle with the Horde, she never anticipated this sort of warfare - this was something new and terrible that truly terrified Luniera. She eventually lost consciousness while assisting a group of children get from the Tradesman’s Terrace to the Temple of Elune; the last memory she could recall was the cracking and crumbling of massive boughs mixed with the burning of nature, flesh, and everything she held dear. Retribution She awoke within the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind to the gentle restorative powers of the priests tending to her. Panic immediately took hold upon her return to the present as countless questions began to spring forth. The horrible truths that she had come to learn gutted her. Her home was gone along with so many of her cherished people, all due to the bold and unnecessary actions of the Horde. She swore to herself to avenge her people in the name of Elune, to return to Darkshore and eradicate whatever Horde forces remained. She was pleased to learn that she was not alone in this resolve - the full forces of the Alliance were all preparing to move against Lordaeron. Though she wanted nothing more than to return to Darkshore immediately, she knew that assisting the assault of Lordaeron was the more logical choice. Though the Alliance could not reclaim Lordaeron, Luniera appreciated the fact that the Alliance had come together as one to push back against the evil actions of the Horde. The Undercity had at least been abandoned and destroyed, and she took solace in knowing that the Horde had also suffered. When King Anduin and his War Council unveiled the plan to find new allies in Kul Tiras, Luniera agreed to assist. She made her way to the human kingdom to help the Alliance acquire a new allegiance and the power of their mighty fleet. Throughout her time there, however, the pains of Teldrassil remained. She eventually returned to Stormwind when word reached her that Tyrande had requested aid for a return to Darkshore but had been denied. Luniera, along with so many others, made her way to her war-ravaged home to both find Tyrande and push back against the Horde in retribution for their actions. Currently, Luniera continues to fight the Horde in Darkshore, hell-bent on revenge for the terrors she and her people have recently endured. Public Knowledge Your character may know Luniera based on the following information. Campaign Participation If your character participated in any of the following events, your character may have interacted with Luniera. * War of the Ancients * Third War ** Orcish skirmishes in Ashenvale ** The Battle for Mount Hyjal * Deathwing's Destruction of Darkshore * The Founding of Lor'danel * The Discovery of Pandaria * The Siege of Orgrimmar * Conflict with the Iron Horde * Seige of The Broken Isles * Nightborne Insurrection * Alliance with Kul Tiras Notable Affiliations and Locations If your character was involved with any of the following places or organizations, your character may also have interacted or heard of Luniera. * Falanaar, Suramar * The Sisterhood of Elune * The Temple of Fala'dora * Kaldorei Resistance * The Sentinels ** Protectors of Astranaar * Astranaar, Ashenvale * Darnassus, Teldrassil * Stormwind City, Elwynn Forest (Kaldorei Ambassador) * Ironforge, Dun Morogh (Kaldorei Ambassador) * The Exodar, Azuremyst Isle (Kaldorei Ambassador) * Paw'don Village, Jade Forest, Pandaria * Shrine of Seven Stars, Vale of Eternal Blossoms, Pandaria * Lunarfall, Shadowmoon Valley, Draenor * Netherlight Temple * Boralus, Kul Tiras Trivia * It took Luniera a long time to earn her facial tattoos, finally receiving her rite of passage during her sixth century. * Though she has never married, she has been in her fair share of relationships. Her private and reserved demeanor certainly does not speak much to her personal life. External Links Luniera's Armory Page Category:Alliance Category:Night Elf Category:Alliance Priest